Horizon

Being vague since the meeting is still going :B

Murphy was still reeling.

Mari, Rufus, the kids, and Cypress. His friends. They were just gone. He wondered, too much probably, if he hadn’t decided to stay with Siberia for the winter, if he could have stopped this. If he could have fixed something.

He guiltily found himself…resenting her. Only for a moment, but it was enough to make him feel bad about it. Siberia didn’t want any of this to happen. He was sure of it. She didn’t lure him away with the promise of love just for the fun of breaking his heart - no. She was too sweet to do that. Although…so had his Promised. She had been sweet. And then she crushed him mercilessly on the day they were supposed to be officially mated.

So he did what he said he would at the meeting. Murphy went hunting. It didn’t clear the bad thoughts from his head, but it did distract him for a while. He was on his fifth trip back into the caverns. On his first hunt, he’d brought back three squirrels. On his second, two gophers. Third hunt brought home a big fat woodchuck. Fourth wasn’t so great - just a rabbit. But this hunt, Murphy was dragging in a twenty-some pound turkey. They were bigger up close. With his limp, Murphy would never breathe a word of what had happened on that little hunt. The turkey almost kicked his ass. When he darted towards the fat, delicious bird, he was not expecting it to turn and fight.

He suffered a few scratches on his muzzle that bled freely for just a few minutes before scabbing over. Murphy dropped the plump bird into the pile he’d created, stepping back with an approving sigh.

Ten puppies, three mothers, and…two? Two males.

Well. Three counting him.

He was sure he was forgetting someone.

Maybe a few more squirrels.

Murphy turned, humming softly, hobbling his way towards the cavern exit to see if he could scrounge up something else. Hopefully, the whole forest wasn’t on alert.

It had been a few very strange days as the Fitzroy family settled into the caverns. Auberon didn’t understand why they moved from their nice, cozy den into this big, dark place. It wasn’t bad exactly, they had a little dip in the floor and their own corner to nap and romp in. It smelled like home, but also not like home here - at least right away. Auberon was growing used to it now after a couple of days.

Auberon had not toddled very far from their tucked away alcove before. The first few days he had been so tired and sore from all the walking that he had done little more than nap, and then ma seemed to often scoop him back into their corner. Ma didn’t seem to be nearby at this particular moment however.

The dark pup left the corner he had been tucked into and waddled through the hallways, twisting and turning and following the wall wherever it happened to go. There was really only one direction that it went.

He came to a new fork in the path and saw movement up ahead. A big, wolf shaped thing that smelled like his family in a certain way. “Da!” He called immediately, thinking the timber wolf was his father. Auberon hurried his pace to follow after the other wolf and see where he was going.

At first, Murphy didn’t think the kid was talking to him. He clearly just called him dad. But he turned around anyway because, well, no one with a soul would ignore a puppy and he thought that there was another adult nearby.

But it was just Murphy.

He must resemble the kid’s dad, he thought.

It was odd. He expected to feel sad, considering his unfulfilled desire to have his own - but his heart just warmed. It was cute. And he felt honored that this little guy would call him ‘da’, even if it was a mistake. It was like being called ‘sir’ by someone he looked up to.

Murphy smiled broadly and sat, tail wagging. “Awh, sorry bud, I must look like him a little bit. Didja want help finding him?”

His little face. His little feet. Eeeeeeee!

Da had gone to get a drink from the pool. Sort of. He had walked over to the pool with the intention on drinking from it, but ended up staring at for a good twenty minutes or so. Even away from the clearing, the ghost still haunted him.

Aeneas.

It had left him in his longest catatonic state yet. After a blink, his mind was back.

Rathbone finally lowered his head to lap up the cool water. The sound of his tongue darting into the water echoed against the stone. It was different being in here. Darker. It reminded him of the forest he had been born and raised in. Like the forest, there was an emptiness. However, he imagined the cavern would not be empty for too long.

It would be filled with ten pups and weary adults.

Auberon’s tail wagged as he trotted towards the big timber wolf. At least, until the other wolf spoke and he realized that was more certainly not his da. He came to a complete stop and tilted his head back and forth at the other wolf. Who even was this? The only big wolves Auberon knew were ma, and da. “Not da,” he said quietly, but then took another step forward, because this wolf seemed okay.

Did Auberon actually have two da’s, and he just hadn’t met this one before? “Find him?” The pup repeated back. Who was ‘him’? Auberon wasn’t particularly looking to find anything, he was just…looking.

He closed the remaining space between himself and Murphy, feeling quite assured of himself, and liking the sound of the others’ voice.

Murphy laughed at the kid’s response to seeing him up close. Nope. Not da. Fun uncle, though.

Murphy thought the kid was asking for help, not repeating his words back. “Of course, little man! Where’d you see “da” last?” Murphy set aside his hunting plans. He was tired anyway. The little guy moved even closer, and his tail wagged more. How were puppies so dang cute?

Rathbone licked his maw after drinking. His ears turned backward to the sound of voices. Lazily, he turned away from the water and began to pad over, just to see who was talking and then return to the family’s rather secluded room.

When he stepped out, he saw his son with the helpful stranger. But… still a stranger. He wasn’t sure how he felt about him. His head rose above his shoulders

“Au—” he breathed. He failed to find his voice. After clearing his throat, he tried again, “Auberon.” His voice was hoarse. Not quite as soft as usual as he called for the boy.

Auberon stretched his head up towards the other big, timber wolf. He still wasn’t really sure who this guys was? Second Da? He was clearly too big to be another sibling. Auberon didn’t yet have a word that was just for ‘friend’.

He sniffed as Murphy spoke; he sounded different than Ma or Da. He said his words a little differently, Auberon had to think about it a little more to pay attention. He was asking about Da though. Auberon didn’t really know what he was asking. He tilted his head questioningly, but in the end he didn’t have to answer, because Da’s voice called from nearby.

“Da!” he squeaked back, poking around the side of Murphy with a big smile for his father. Auberon’s tail wagged, even if Da’s voice hadn’t sounded as it usually did. The dark pup wasn’t sure where to go, or what to do. He just stood, happily looking between the two adults.

Ah. There he was! Murphy recognized him from the meeting. Quiet guy.

“Auberon, is it then? Nice to meetcha, little dude. I’m Murphy!”

Auberon squeaked out after his dad, and he comically peeked out from around Murphy, summoning a little chuckle from him. This was good. The distractions were helping. Hunting wasn’t as helpful because he was still alone with his thoughts, but wayward pups were really doing the trick here. Murphy looked to Rathbone with his goofy grin, then down at Auberon.

“There he is! Go on. Get ‘im!” Murphy urged, still smiling. Aw, what if he started to play with his dad? That’d be super cute.

Auberon acknowledged him. But he didn’t… come over. He was just standing there with a stranger between them. Had Leas been there, calling him, the boy would have come. Her voice could carry a firmness that his couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Not for his kids, anyway.

Would he listen to the stranger? Probably. Rathbone liked it when they were just alone in the clearing.

He stood there, silent. Unsure of what to say or do. He wanted to go back to sleep. But he couldn’t leave his son this far away from the den. Leas would have a fit.

Auberon looked up attentively at Not-Da when the big wolf said his name; the pup smiled. This guy was nice and Auberon decided he liked him. Was that word he said his name? “Murhy,” Auberon replied. He didn’t yet understand greetings all that well, his parents had not often said ‘hello’ to any strangers around him for the pup to think to emulate that.

His Da wasn’t saying anything more to him and Auberon wasn’t sure what to do until Murphy told him to ‘go’. Auberon giggled and raced towards his father, skidding to a halt right in front and smiling up at his father with a huge grin.

The dark pup leaned into his fathers foreleg while his tiny tail wagged behind him. “Da! Gowing e’splorin’!” He said proudly. He was pretty sure that was a word he’d heard Ma say before, recently. He wasn’t sure what it meant, but it seemed to be just about being outside their new ‘den’. Would Da walk with him around this new, weird, big place?

Awww. Look at him go. Murphy giggled as the kid almost was able to say his name, then toddled over to his dad to announce his intentions. Murphy wanted to say that Auberon should be careful, and only e’splore when his parents were with him, but he didn’t want to sound like he was parenting for anyone. His dad was here now, the kid was safe, and Murphy wasn’t a threat. All was well.

“Heheee, you’ve got yourself a cute one, man.” He complimented as the little guy leaned on his dad.

The boy came running. Rathbone smiled, but still felt upset; he was failing, somehow. He touched his nose to him in greeting.

Auberon had gone exploring.

“Do you want to explore more?” he asked.

His eyes glanced back at Murphy. “Thank you,” he said. He made a small smile at him.

Auberon circled about his father’s leg. He leaned inward so that Da was supporting his weight and he walked in a little circle. It was just something to do while he waited for the big wolves to decide what exactly they were doing.

The small, dark pup didn’t register that Murphy was calling him cute. He’d been talking to Da about…something that was cute. Auberon knew Da was his, but Auberon didn’t really grasp that others saw him as belonging to Da and Ma too.

Oh! Da’s next question was for him. He stopped walking and nodded excitedly. ‘Yes esplore! Where esplore Da?” Auberon didn’t really know where they ought to go. He glanced up at his father for some instruction. “Murhy esplore?” He asked, glancing over at the other timber wolf.

This kid was cuter than…something really cute.

Murphy grinned, figuring his role in Auberon’s day was coming to a close, because he wanted to go esplore with his da. But then he looked back at Murphy, asking if he would come too? Excitement! He had forgotten all about hunting more, forgotten about how sad he was; right now he was just goofy uncle Murphy.

“Well, I wouldn’t hate going for a walk, but that alllll depends on your dad. He might have plans too, ya know?” The last thing he wanted to do was impose. But he would happily take this little dude on an adventure.

Where should they explore? He doubted Leas would want him to figure out he could leave the caves fairly easily. “Do you want to explore the caves more?” he asked. A suggestion. There really wasn’t anywhere else he could explore just yet. Soon, though, he hoped to show them more of the forest.

The boy asked for Murphy. He had hoped for some time alone with his son. Those moments were rare, it seemed. And… Murphy was a stranger. Who had left and then returned.

But he couldn’t see any harm… and he didn’t want to be rude. Besides, if he ended up being a bad egg, Leas could certainly unleash some mad fury that had never been seen before.

“You’re welcome to join, if-if you want,” he said. He put on a smile.